Mardi gras? Yep, it sure does. And funny, you find kings’ cake (“king cake”) there too. Only in New Orleans a king cake is a ring of brioche that’s colorfully iced and decorated. Seems king cake, for reasons that should now be rather easy to understand, are more closely tied to the idea of partying […]

So where did the odd tradition of hiding a trinket in a kings’ cake come from? For that matter, what about the bit with the crown and being “king for the day?” While I’m always wary of hopping onto the well-trodden path that’s forever leading food writers back to Greece or Rome, in this case […]

Though there are many sorts of Epiphany cakes made in the Christian world, the galette des rois (“kings’ cake”) is considered the classic, mainly because it’s northern French, and in the world of pastry northern France is the center of the universe. Maybe one day that center will move, maybe back to Vienna, or someplace […]

If, what with all the holiday hubbub, you missed the chance to make a gingerbread house this year, don’t worry. You’ll have another opportunity as Valentine’s Day approaches. What, you never heard of a Valentine’s gingerbread house before? Then clearly you are behind the times, my friend.

In the traditions of Western Christianity, and especially (these days) the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Epiphany is the day that the three wise men (Magi) arrived in Bethlehem and presented their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ child. It traditionally falls on the 6th of January, which is the twelfth […]

I’ve never been famous for my adherence to seasonality. As a rule I bake whatever pops up on the request list, whether it’s according to the season or not. This year, however, I’ve had enough requests for an Epiphany cake of some sort that I think I’ll bow to tradition. A galette des Rois it […]